Isaiah Washington life and biography

Isaiah Washington is an American actor. A veteran of several Spike Lee films, Washington is best known for his role as Dr. Preston Burke on the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy from 2005 to 2007.

Washington was born in Houston, Texas, where his parents were residents in the Houston Heights community. His parents moved to Missouri City, Texas around 1980, where he was one of the first graduates from Willowridge High School, Houston, in 1981. Washington revealed in an interview with Star Jones that his father, after whom he was named, was murdered when he was 13 years old. Washington went on to serve in the United States Air Force and attended Howard University. Washington married Jenisa Marie Garland on February 14, 1996. The couple have three children (Isaiah V, Tyme, and Iman).

Washington got his acting start at Howard University before heading to New York. His early movie jobs included working with Spike Lee in such films as Crooklyn (1994), Clockers (1995) and Get On the Bus (1996), and Washington found steady work Hollywood productions and TV shows. By the end of the 1990s he had played plenty of smalltime hoods, but he'd also had notable roles in Bulworth (1998, starring Warren Beatty) and Out of Sight (1999, starring Jennifer Lopez). Washington appeared with Jet Li in Romeo Must Die in 2000, followed by Exit Wounds (2001, also with DMX) and Hollywood Homicide (2003, with Josh Hartnett), then landed the role of Burke on Grey's Anatomy. After two seasons on the hit show Washington made headlines in October 2006 when he and co-star Patrick Dempsey locked horns on the set. The story goes that Washington, addressing Dempsey, referred to co-star T.R. Knight using an "anti-homosexual" epithet. Washington apologized publicly, announced he would undergo counseling and made public service announcements for gay and lesbian advocacy groups. By June of 2007 the dust had settled, but Washington's contract was not renewed and he left the cast of Grey's Anatomy.

Washington traces his ancestry to Sierra Leone, where he has founded a non-profit development organization... Washington is also an advocate for research into the neurological disorder narcolepsy.

Filmography:

2008 : The Least of These
2010 : Hurricane Season
2000 : Dancing in September
2001 : Touched by an Angel ; All My Children
2005-2007 : Grey's Anatomy
2007 : Bionic Woman

Awards and nominations:

2006: Won, "Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series" - Grey's Anatomy
2007: Won, "Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series" - Grey's Anatomy
2007: Won, "Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series" - Grey's Anatomy

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